Mail-box



N0.'751,922. k I PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904;

' J. v. KEENER.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1903.

no menu.

Patented February 9, 1904.

PATENT cam MAIL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,922, dated February9, 1904.

Application filed April 22,1903. $erial1l'0. 153,865. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPHINE V. KEENER, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri,have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in mail-boxesespecially adapted to be secured to house-doors; and its object is toprovide an inexpensive and attractive device of this character having analarm adapted to be sounded when mail is deposited within the box.

A further object is to provide a separate receptacle upon the mail-boxinto which any desired articles may be deposited.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thenovel construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing,which is a section through a mail-box constructed in accordance with myinvention.

Referring to the drawing by numerals of reference, 1 is a box formed ofany suitable material and having an opening 2 in one side thereof whichis adapted to be normally closed by means of a door 3, which may belocked in any suitable manner. The front face of the box may be grooved,as shown at 4, for the reception of an artistic plate 5 or any othersimilar ornamental device, and the opposite or rear end of the box isopen and adapted to be secured to a door 6. Outwardly-extending ears 7are formed at the rear edges of the receptacle'and are adapted to beconnected to the door by means of screws 8 or any other fasteningdevices.

Secured to the top of receptacle 1 is a suitable figure 9, preferably abust representing the Goddess of Liberty, and this figure is hollow anddivided, by means of a partition 10, into two compartments 11 and 12. Astandard 13 is arranged in compartment 12 and has a bell l4 thereon, anda clapper 15 is arranged upon the standard and within the bell and has aflexible strip 16 connected thereto. This strip extends downward througha slot 17 formed in the top of receptacle 1, and passes under a pulley18 and downward through an inclined slot 19, formed within the door. Theouter end of this slot is normally closed by a lid 20, which is hingedat its upper edge and is connected adjacent to its lower edge to theouter end of the strip 16. A plate-holder 21 is preferably secured tothe door 6 at a point adjacent to and above the cover 20, and a curvedflange 22 extends downward from this plate and over the hinge of thecover 20, so as to protect the hinge of said cover from rain, dust, &:c.The upper compartment 11 is preferably formed within the head of thefigure, and the upper portion 23 of the head forms the closure therefor,said closure being-hinged, as shown at 24. A

It will be seen that whenever the cover 20 is raised to permit a letteror parcel to be insorted into the slot 19 the bell 14:. will be sounded.The compartment 11 can be used as a receptacle for cards or any otherdesired articles. It will also be seen that the walls of the compartment12 of the bust or figure 9 serve to inclose the alarm device in a mannerto protect it from injury and that said device is supported by the boxitself rather than by the door or other structure to which the box issecured. By thus supporting the alarm device the same is not required tobe attached to or removed from the structure separately from orindependently of the box itself, and thusless cutting out or wearing ofthe surface of the structure is necessary than would otherwise be thecase. I

In the foregoing description I have shown the preferred form of myinvention; but I do not limit myself thereto, as I am aware thatmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantagesthereof, and I therefore reserve theright to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope of myinvention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is Thecombination with a suitable structure, having a slot therethrough, andprovided at one side with a closure for the slot, of a box secured tothe other side of the structure, and

provided with a top having a slot therein, said box having communicationwith the slot first named, a guide-pulley supported in the box adjacentto this slot, an alarm supported on said top adjacent to the slottherein,-a device on the top for inclosing the alarm, a clapper for thealarm, and an operating-strip for the clapper, said strip extendingthrough both of said slots and over the guide-pulley and con nected tosaid closure. 10

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPHINE V. KEENER. Witnesses:

JOSEPH R. GENEREUX, FRANK LANE.

